Lighting-fixture shade-holder.



A. W. CLARKE. L\IGHT|NG FIXTURE SHADE HOLDER. APPLICATION man mus 17. I914.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

WITNESSES ATTOREY support.

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'- ALLEN w. CLARKE, or JErrEnsonvrLLE, INDIANA, assrenon To aianmcan can AND rounnnr comrANY, or s1. LOUIS, mssoum, ACORPORATION or new JERSEY.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be a known that I, ALLEN w. camarasiding at J efl'ersouville, Clark county, Indi aha, and being a citizen of the United- States, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Lighting-Fixture Shade- Holders, of whichthe. following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and to use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it isto be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof will occur to persons skilled inthe art.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a composite view, showing on the left an. elevation of the improved .fixture, and on the right a vertical section through the same. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2'2, of Fig: 1, showing the washer in place upon the lamp Fig. 3 is a similar View but taken on line 33, of Fig. 1, disclosing the lamp supportin place and held against rotary displacement. Fig. 4 is another horizontal section and is taken on line 44, of Fig. 1,

and illustrates means for positioning the lamp support; and Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of the nut and the shade holding springs.

Lighting fixtures installed in railway cars arecofntinuously subjected for long periods to relatively violent vibrations, and there is constant danger of the shades of such fixtures becoming disengaged and precipitated to the car floor.

The present invention has to do with a lighting fixture which is capableof readily withstanding the loosening influences due to the swaying and lurching of the car in which itis installed, and one of the objects is to make it necessary to operate the shadeity to remove theshade, and to cause all movement of the same with gravity to more the lamp 6 is provided with asocket 7 adaptment, as occasioned by a screw-thread, is

' The lower ,has an increased dlameter and an inwardly Specification of Letters Patent. Patentd Deg, reams, Application manna 17,1914. serial n. 845,718.

ate to lock both the'shade and the retaining and releasing means therefor against such excessive movement as would convert the' gripping'actionv into one of release, when an attendant is fastening a shade in place.

A further advantage is the inclusion of means for preventing anaccidental displacement of the shade gripping members when they are performing their normal shadeholding function. v

Other advantages will make themselves manifest in the following disclosure, and it is to be understood that they are to be regarded as coming within the scope of this invention.

Consulting the drawings, 1 indicates a fixture support, as a tube, preferably used as a conduit for wires leading to an electric lamp,-though itis obvious it may constitute, or inclose, a supply pipe for the conveyance of an illuminating'fluid to a different type of lamp. Removably secured to conduit 1 by suitable means, as a screw-thread, is a relatively stationary housing or sleeve 2', having in its upper portion sustaining means, which maybe in the form of shelves 3, for a lamp support 4, having a depending threaded nipple 5. The upper end of ed to be screwed upon said'nipple 5, and by providing one or more of the shelves 3 with some means, as an upstanding lug 8, here shown as merging with the wall of sleeve 2, and notching or otherwise treating the lamp support 4 to receive said lug or other means, said lamp support will be held from rotary 'movement tending to unscrew the lamp, this being perfectly feasible as no rotary movenecessary to'insert or remove said lamp support 4. The lamp support is dropped to position through the upper part of the sleeve 2 until it rests on the shoulders 3,

It is deemed advisable to place a washer 9 upon the upper surface of the lamp support 4, and the lower endof conduit 1 is thenv screwed tightly thereagai'nst, whereupon said lamp support 4 is held against movementin any direction. N

portion of sleeve 2 preferably projecting annulus 10 of peculiar formation. A section of this annulus reveals an upper downwardly and inwardly inclined surface 11, depending from the loweredge of which is a short vertical -.wall 12, and extending from the bottom thereof is a lower downwardly and inwardly inclined surface 13.

A shade 14:, which may be any one of the commercial types having a groove 14 at or near the top of its neck, has its said neck portion surrounded by the annulus 10 'of sleeve 2. The lower enlarged portion of said sleeve 2 is externally threaded, and

screwed thereupon is a preferably hollowcylindrical nut 15 possessing at its bottom an inturned flange 16. Secured to flange 16 by rivets 17, or otherwise, is a spring ring 18 having a series of spaced flexible fingers 19, each finger inclining upwardly and inwardly to the point where it is to project into the groove in ,the neck of the shade when the latter is properly positioned. At this point it is rounded with a radius that will harmonize with the commercial standards for such neck grooves. Continuing upwardly it is also inclined outwardly until it reaches a given point, where it is bent again to extend upwardly and inwardly to 1 positions Shown, the parts firmly hold the shade 14 n place without any opportunity for it to become accidentally detached. Nut 15 is substantially in the lowest position it can occupy, as the shade-gripping bend of each finger 19, in'practice bears tightly against the concave surface of the groove in the neck of the shade, such clearance as'is present in'the drawing being only for the clear distinguishment of the parts, and the upper part of the upwardly and outwardly inclined intermediate portion of each finger bears against the lower inclined surface 13 of. annulus 10, which under these conditions obstructs further downward movement of said intermediate portion and hence the entire finger, and all fingers and the nut 15 carrying them. Any attempt to revolve nut 15, or any tendency of vibrations to screw the same farther downwardly will be frustrated by a resultant increased binding ofsaid upper part of the intermediate finger portion against surface 13. The bends 19 in finger 19 at the iunction of the intermediate and upper portions of said fingers are practically in contact with vertical wall 12 of annulus 10, and the bends in said fingers which occupy the groove in the neck of the shade cannot, therefore, be retracted from said grooves with nut 15 in the position shown, hence no accidental release of the shade can transpire.

To remove the shade 1-1 from the fixture, nut 15 must be rotated to travel upwardly carrying fingers 19 with it, and the set of said spring fingers 19 is such that upon the bends 19 at the junction of said intermediate and upper finger portions moving above the top of vertical wall 12, the last mentioned finger portions will spring outwardly so that the upper part of the intermediate portion will lap and rest upon the inclined surface 11 of annulus 10, as indicated in dotted lines in-Fig. 1, the shade then being readily removable.

Should it be desired to remove nut 15 for any reason, the shade is first detached, as just set forth, and due to the absence of the shade, the fingers 19 can be sprung over the edge of lower inclined surface 13, permitting said nut to be screwed downwardly until it becomes detached from sleeve 2.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a lighting fixture, a housing and a lamp support within said housing, a shade, yielding gripping means, an actuating member therefor and control means co-actlng with said actuating member to cause said gripping means to grip or release said shade,

said control means partly extending under-.

neath a portion of said gripping means to be engaged thereby upon a downward movement of said actuating member.

2. In a lighting fixture, a housing and a lamp support within the same, a shade, yielding gripping means, an actuating member therefor supporting said gripping means, and control means co-acting with said actuating member to cause said gripping means to grip or release the shade, said control meanspartly extending underneath a portion of said gripping means to be engaged thereby upon a downward movement of said actuating member.

3. In a lighting fixture, a housing or sleeve, a lamp support within said housing, a shade, yielding gripping means, an actuating' member therefor carrying the same and movable with relation to said housing and control means adapted by relative movement with said actuating member to cause said gripping means to grip or release said shade and to arrest the downward movement of said actuating member.

4. In a lighting fixture, a'relativelystationary housing or sleeve and a fixture support therefor, a removable lamp support within said housing retained by said fixture support, a shade, gripping and releasing means therefor and an actuating member relative to said housing and operable in a direction toward said fixture support to release said shade and in a reverse direction to grip the same.

5. In a lighting fixture, a relatively stationary housing or sleeve and a fixture support secured thereto, a removable lamp support rigidly held within said housing by said "fixture support, a shade, yielding gripping and releasing means therefor having an outwardly directed extension, an actuating member for said gripping means carrying the same and connected to said stationary housing and movable on said housing, and control means co-acting with said actuating member to cause said yielding means to grip or release said shade and also adapted to be engaged by said outward extension of said gripping means to arrest the downward movement thereof and of said actuating member.

6. In a lightingfixture, a sleeve having an internally threaded upper portion, shelves below said threaded portion extending inwardly from said sleeve, a lamp support having a notched flange resting upon said shelves and a threaded lamp holding nipple extending therebelow, a rotation-preventing lug extending into 'said notch, an apertured distance piece resting upon said lamp support and .a fixture-supporting conduit screwed into said upper sleeve portion and bearing against said distance piece.

7 In a lighting fixture, a sleeve having an internally threaded upper portion, an inwardly extending internal shelf below said threaded portion, a lamp support comprising. a recessed flange resting upon said shelf and athreaded lamp-holding nipple extending therebelow, rotation-preventing means projecting into said recess, an apertured distance piece resting on said lamp support and a fixture-supporting conduit screwed into said upper sleeve portion and bearing against said distance piece.

8. A lighting fixture comprising a sleeve having an internally threaded upper portion, projections or shelves below said threaded portion extending inwardly from said sleeve, a lamp support comprising a flange resting upon said shelves or projections and a lamp-holding nipple extending therebelow, interlocking means on said flange and shelves adapted to prevent rotation of said lamp support, and means adapted to hold the latter in place.

9.'In a lighting fixture, a relatively stationary sleeve anda fixture support secured thereto, a removable lamp support positioned within said sleeve and having a p0rtion provided with a notch, a plurality of integral inwardly projecting shelves sustaining said lamp support, :1 lug integral with said sleeve projecting into said notch, a shade and means for said shade.

10. In a lighting fixture, a relatively stationary sleeve, a removable lamp suppcrt within said sleeve positioned thereby and supported therefrom, a shade, a plurality of spaced flexible lingers connected by a ring,

an actuating nut to which said ring is attached, said nut being threaded to the lower portion of said sleeve to move thereon and control means integral with said sleeve adapted to cause said fingers to grip or release said shade to maintain the shade-gripping relation and to prevent an accidental downward movement of said nut and fingers.

gripping and releasing 11. In a lighting fixture, a relatively stationary sleeve, a shade, a connected plurality of flexible fingers, each extending inwardly and upwardly, thence outwardly and upwardly and again inwardly and upwardly to its free end, a nut carrying said fingers threaded to and movable on said sleeve. and an'integral control annulus on said sleeve comprising a pair of vertically spaced inclined surfaces and an upright wall, said fingers being adapted to rest upon said upper inclined surface but to be forced by a downward movement of said nut to rest upon said lower inclined surface with their lower bends gripping the shade and their upper bends bearing against said upright wall, said lower inclined surface preventing downward movement of said fingers and nut.

12. In a lighting fixture, a suitably supported sleeve having. an externally threaded lower portion, an internal control annulus in said lower sleeve portion comprising a pair of vertically spaced inclined concentric surfaces, said upper'surface extending outwardly beyond said lower surface and an upright wall connecting both incline-d surfaces, a nut threaded onto said lower sleeve portion, a shade, a plurality of flexible fingers carried by said nut, each finger adapted to rest upon said upper inclined surface but to be forced by a downward movement of said nut to rest upon said lower 1 vided at one end with an internally project- In witness whereof I have hereunto set my ing member having an irregularly formed hand in the presence of two witnesses. guide face, a shade, gripping means therefor and means for moving sald gripping means A CLARKE 5 over said irregular face to cause the grip- Witnesses:

ping means to follow the contour thereof to THEODORE E. Lyons,

grip or release said shade. VICTOR WILLOUGHBY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

